A `Memorandum of Understanding’ obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows the high level of collusion between Salford Council, IGas, Greater Manchester Police, Peel Holdings and other organisations during the anti-fracking protests at Barton Moss – sharing intelligence, communications and branding.

The Memorandum also set out the level of force that the police were expected to use, which has led solicitor Simon Pook to question “the violent actions of Greater Manchester Police at Barton Moss”.

“Forcing campaigners to take on not only the shale gas and oil companies and their multinational partners but the full resources of the state is unacceptable in a democratic society.” Netpol

During the anti-fracking protests at Barton Moss this year, Salford City Council largely played down its role, releasing virtually no statements, while no councillor or the City Mayor, Ian Stewart, actually visited the site to see for themselves the level of Greater Manchester Police activity, labelled ‘aggressive‘ and ‘intimidating’ by local residents who were there (see previous Salford Star articles – click here and click here).

Councils that will play a key role in deciding the future of fracking in Britain have investments worth millions of pounds in companies behind the energy extraction method, The Independent can reveal.

The Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF), which invests on behalf of Salford and Trafford councils, holds shares in Henderson Group, a major investor in IGas, another fracking exploration company that is conducting shale-gas tests in the Salford area.

A Salford resident holds a reminder for Salford Coucil, referring to the translation of their motto,‘SALUS POPULI SUPREMA LEX’

On Tuesday 8th April, Salford Council held a cabinet meeting at the town hall in which members of the public were welcome to sit in on the ‘debate’ on the fracking issue, something which had been at long last made possible as the result of 3,000 signatures collected in a petition to oppose fracking and unconventional gas extraction on Barton Moss, Irlam.

However, Salford Council, in the meeting led by Salford Mayor, Ian Stewart, point blank refused to engage in any discussion, stating that there would be ‘no further debate’.

Considering the five months of activity at Barton Moss, the huge press attention it has attracted, and the awareness about the dangers of fracking which increases by the day, it is staggering that not one of our so called ‘representatives’ of the people has visited the site at Barton, and the council refuses to engage in discussion on such a crucial issue in our city.

Having received a petition signed by over three thousand people opposed to fracking in the city, Salford Council’s Cabinet is being forced to discuss the issue.
The public is welcome to attend the Cabinet meeting from 10am and before this there will be an anti-fracking rally outside Salford Civic Centre in Swinton from 9:15am.

During the four months since IGas set up its exploratory drilling site at Barton Moss, not one single Salford councillor or the Salford Mayor, Ian Stewart, has said a word on the issue in public.

In private, however the councillors are telling people that they can’t speak about fracking because it would stop them taking part in a subsequent vote when planning permission is sought to actually frack in Irlam later in the year.